The transmission of traits across generations has typically been attributed to the inheritance by offspring of genomic information from parental generations. However, recent evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms are capable of mediating this type of transmission. In the case of maternal care, there is evidence for the behavioral transmission of postpartum behavior from mothers to female offspring. The neuroendocrine and molecular mediators of this transmission have been explored in rats and implicate estrogen-oxytocin interactions and the differential methylation of hypothalamic estrogen receptors. These maternal effects can influence multiple aspects of neurobiology and behavior of offspring and this particular mode of inheritance is dynamic in response to environmental variation. In this review, evidence for the generational transmission of maternal care and the mechanisms underlying this transmission will be discussed as will the implications of this inheritance system for offspring development and for the transmission of environmental information from parents to offspring.

中文翻译：

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表观遗传机制和孕产妇保健的跨代效应

性状跨代传递通常归因于后代遗传了来自父代的基因组信息。然而，最近的证据表明表观遗传机制能够介导这种类型的传播。在产妇护理方面，有证据表明产后行为会从母亲传给女性后代。已经在大鼠中探索了这种传递的神经内分泌和分子介质，并暗示雌激素-催产素相互作用和下丘脑雌激素受体的差异甲基化。这些母体效应可以影响神经生物学和后代行为的多个方面，这种特殊的遗传模式是动态的，以响应环境变化。在这次审查中，